Rep. Sykes Opposes Agriculture Funding Bill Citing Cuts to Food Assistance and Rural Investment

Rep. Sykes Opposes Agriculture Funding Bill Citing Cuts to Food Assistance and Rural Investment

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Representative Emilia Sykes (OH-13) voted against H.R. 8646, the Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, warning it reduces critical support for food assistance, rural infrastructure, and working families.

"This bill may claim to be about fiscal responsibility, but it comes at the expense of families who are already stretched thin," said Rep. Sykes. "At a time when costs are rising and need is increasing, it pulls back on the very systems that help people put food on the table, access safe drinking water, and keep rural communities stable. We should be strengthening these investments, not scaling them back."

In Ohio's 13th Congressional District, nearly 45,000 households rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and local food banks such as the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank are reporting increased demand.

The bill reduces overall discretionary agriculture funding by roughly four percent in FY2027, cutting about $1.1 billion from the previous fiscal year.

Key reductions include:

• $6 billion reduction in SNAP funding
• $200 million cut to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
• $5 million cut to The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)
• $62 million cut to water and waste infrastructure grants that support safe drinking water projects
• 50% reduction in the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP)
• Flat funding for rural housing programs, limiting repairs, rental assistance, and new development
• Reduced United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) staffing support for farmer assistance programs
• Reduced funding for Food for Peace, which supports global food aid and agricultural markets

Rep. Sykes said the bill would weaken essential support systems at a time when families, farmers, and rural communities are already under strain.

While Rep. Sykes opposed the bill overall, she successfully fought to include report language calling for increased testing for heavy metals in infant formula.

She also submitted an amendment, which was adopted, calling for increased environmental monitoring at infant formula and toddler food manufacturers to help prevent outbreaks such as the botulism outbreak earlier this year.

Rep. Sykes continues to advocate for stronger infant formula and toddler food protections and is calling on her colleagues to pass the Improving Newborns' Food and Nutrition Testing Safety (INFANTS) Act, which would require finished baby food products and infant formula to be tested for toxic heavy metals and other contaminants.

The bill passed the House and now moves to the Senate for consideration.